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Simple DIY Outdoor Chair Cushions

We just got a new outdoor table set from Ikea and have been enjoying sitting on our porch so much! It’s so nice to eat outside on a warm evening. The chairs are comfortable, but we wanted a little cushion for the wood seats. I couldn’t find any the right size for this set, so I decided to make my own. Here’s a step-by-step of how to make simple seat cushions for outdoor furniture.

Start by measuring the seat of your chair; mine was square, 15″x15″. Then cut your foam to the size of your seat, if necessary. My foam was 15″x17″, so I cut off two inches on one side.

Next, determine the cut size of your fabric. Don’t forget to add the width of the foam to your measurements, plus a seam allowance. My foam was 1″ thick, so I added 1″ plus another 1″ (1/2″ seam allowance on both sides) for a cut size of 17″x17″.

Before cutting the seat fabric, make sure you will have enough for the ties. You will need two 2″ x 30-34″ cut pieces per cushion (or, if you don’t have enough length to do 30-34″ in your excess, you can do four 2″ x 15-17″ pieces per cushion). Now you can cut all of your fabric pieces.

Take the 2″ wide pieces for the ties, fold them lengthwise right side out, and iron a crease. Then open the fabric and fold the raw edges into the middle using the crease as a guide and iron down. Fold along the first crease again with the raw edges inside creating 1/2″ wide ties. Pin in place, then sew lengthwise.

To finish the ends of the ties, trim the raw edges cleanly then fold over twice, for a finished fold of about 1/2″. Sew lengthwise, going over it a couple of times to be sure it’s secure.

Now for the seat fabric. I had a wide piece of fabric, so rather than cut individual front and back pieces, I cut one long piece 17″x33″ and folded it in half in lieu of sewing the front seam.

Before pinning the side seams, place the ties at the edges where you want them for your seat. I measured up from the edge of my seat to get my location for the ties. Pin them in place on the right side of your fabric.

Now, pin the side seams, incorporating the ties, and sew with a 1/2″ seam allowance. You should now have 3 sides closed. On the 4th side (which will be the back), sew in from each edge about 1/3 of the way, leaving an opening big enough to stuff your foam.

As a finishing touch, round the corners by measuring 1″ in from each stitched corner and freehand drawing a rounded corner. Stitch all 4 corners, following your drawn lines. Trim the corner excess fabric, leaving about 1/2″ seam. (Note: you do not need to round the corners of your foam, only the fabric covers.)

Turn your cover right side out and stuff the foam inside. Pin the opening and hand stitch closed.